Courses

Division of Biosphere Science

Biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living organisms. Mission of the “Division of Biosphere” is to introduce the mechanisms how biological diversity is maintained and developed that are responsible for the function of biosphere. The mechanisms include molecular or cellular levels and interactions between different organisms to form each biome. Our research activities take advantage of finding evidence and collecting data from the fields, so called field science. Laboratories are highly equipped with advanced facilities enough to explore unknown mechanisms. The final goal of education is to provide students with the viewpoint of feedback effects of living organisms on forming physicochemical environments and also with the ability to work on important environmental issues. Bioremediation is also within our scope.

This course focuses on the mechanisms of creation, maintenance and decline of biological diversity, paying attention to environment structure, population structure, spatial genetic structure, and biological interaction.

This course focuses on the population dynamics under environmental changes, biological interactions, and developmental and environmental adaptations in mammals, insects and plants, especially paying attention to their genetic systems and genetic diversity.

There are numerous species of creature living on the earth. They have been evolved individually in response to dramatic changes of environments for approximately 3.5 billion years. Environmental factors, such as light,
temperature, atmospheric gases, and water conditions greatly affect on the activity and characteristics of living organisms. On the other hand, living organisms themselves function as important environmental stabilizers by driving elemental circulation through their various metabolic activities. Our final goal is to ‘Understand the Relationship between Environments and Living Organisms at the Molecular Levels.’ We are also trying to develop
basis of effective bioremediation, biomonitoring, and bioproduction technologies.

This course focuses on the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of animals, paying attention to animal behavior, population dynamics, biological interaction, and community organization. The educational and research activities also cover wild animal conservation and ecosystem management in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

This course provides teaching of the characteristics for the biological production processes in the various marine environments and of the biological response and adaptation for the environmental changes. The educational and research activities cover wide areas of biogeochemical and physical oceanography in order to understand the relationship between marine environmental factors and biological production processes. The studying purpose in this course is to understand throughout ship-board researches, chemical and biological laboratory works and marine ecosystem modeling how the changes in marine chemical and physical environments influence the marine ecosystem.

This course focuses on the mechanisms of response and adaptation of various
aquatic organisms (algae, plankton, squid, fish, marine mammal) against
their living environments from freshwater (river, lake, bog) to marine
(coastal and open sea) ecosystems. Research and education are carried out
from the molecular and cell biology to the population and community ecology.

To understand biodiversity and functions of forest ecosystems, we conduct a variety of research projects in our vast experimental forests. In the
world’s largest university forest, graduate students address their thesis research focusing on particular topic. Our studies cover wide variety of topics such as ecology and evolution of wildlife, ecological interactions, global warming, atmosphere pollution, invasive species, and land use
conservation, etc.

Reliable and efficient agricultural management systems are required to make sure of stable and future sustainable food production.

In the Agro-Ecosystem course, staff belonging to the Experiment Farm and Livestock Farm in the Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University offer education and research programs on the characterization of agricultural lands and clarification of relationships between environments and biological production in agricultural lands as well as the development and utilization of available agricultural resources to ensure sustainable agriculture production and renewable energy production.

We do research into the establishment of crop and livestock production systems suitable for cool climatic regions such as Hokkaido.

We also do research into genetic improvement of crops and livestock.

Two lectures are offered. One is an Advanced Course in Environment and Management in Crop Production, in which students will understand characteristics of biological, chemical and physical environments in agricultural land and facilities, and learn how to improve the environments of agricultural land in terms of both productivity and sustainability.

The other is an Advanced Course in Environment and Management in Livestock Production, in which students will understand characteristics of environments in grasslands and barns, and learn about environment creation, supply of feeds and waste treatment systems for livestock production.